After 30 years, Rotorua chief librarian Jane Gilbert is retiring.

She ends her gracious three decades of readership change in July.

'There's always something new happening and every day is different. I could not have chosen a more enjoyable yet challenging career,” Mrs Gilbert says in a statement.

Jane Gilbert had signalled her retirement privately last month.

During her time, she has overseen three library shifts – including temporary HQ, while the present library was being converted for dual use as a library and wellbeing centre.

Jane feels she's leaving the library at the right time for herself and the library.

'Retirement will obviously involve all those books I haven't had time to read, and my husband (Andy) and I are also embarking on a new adventure.”

That new adventure will take the Gilberts to Feilding, the home of their daughter, where they have a house and spare land waiting to 'be done up”.

'I'm sure the future includes more time with family and friends, more opportunities to ride our e-bikes and to take up pétanque again. They do say that in retirement you are busier than ever – I can definitely see that happening.”

Jane's library career started at Rotorua Library at 17 filling a junior role for two years.

She moved to Auckland in 1971 to join a small team at Northcote Library before traveling overseas. In 1989 Jane returned to Rotorua Library as Lending Services Librarian then successfully applied for the chief librarian position she has held for 24 years.

Jane was made an Associate member of LIANZA (Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa) in 2004, highlighting her significant contribution to the wider library and information sector.

Gilbert has seen the role of libraries evolve many times in her long career. In a 2000 article, Jane shared her belief that libraries have to be prepared to continually change and improve to meet customers' expectations.

'The advent of new technologies has led to a number of changes in the formats content is provided in – from audiobooks on cassette tape to compact disc and now downloadable files. Expensive sets of encyclopaedias are no longer required with reliable information now available through online databases, available 24/7 and from outside of the library.”

One of Jane's career highlights was the opening of the new home for Rotorua Library within Te Aka Mauri in 2018, in a unique partnership with the Lakes District Health Board.

'The opening of Te Aka Mauri was exciting, amazing and very satisfying. I'm so proud of how the staff handled the pressure, how well they performed and how everything came together. Even while we worked through the expected teething issues, the staff remained positive and the end result is a library like no other.”

'I feel that Rotorua Library is on track to make a big difference in people's lives. No longer do we refer to ‘how it's been done in the past' but we really consider what the community wants and how best to achieve it.”